Monday, August 11, 2014

Control Unit combine the volatile, spectrum-spanning vocals and synth of Silvia Kastel with the brutally focused extended techniques of guitarist Ninni Morgia. Though their style occasionally recalls Industrial and No Wave forebears such as Throbbing Gristle, Suicide and Mars, their spontaneity, urgency and sonic inventiveness place them firmly in the present.

On Burn, the duo are joined by two alternating guest drummers for some of their most concise and direct material, enveloping you in grimy environments vivid with emotional tension and erotic distress. It's simultaneously always avant garde yet always rock'n'roll.

Amanda Feery is a composer based in Ireland and the U.S. who writes for acoustic and electroacoustic ensembles, and has a particular interest in exploring vocal and folk elements. This collection of piano improvisations is her first release. In her own words:

"The improvisations on Spells from the Ice Age began from nothing - a blank canvas starved of any preconceived ideas. The idea was to work with blind intuition. I envisioned each improvisation as a performance, with an audience there with me. That way, I couldn't stop the recording if I thought the performance had errors, or lacked direction. I 'composed' against the minute hand on the wall, trying to sculpt a complete form through repetition, variation, and silence (whilst I panicked about where to go next!). I get a strange amnesiac effect when I listen back to the recordings. It's like somebody else played them".

"The State Pathologist Dr. John Harbison" is a familiar moniker to anyone who followed Irish news from the 1970s on. Less well known is the short-lived death metal trio that appropriated the name, featuring guitarist Andy Cunningham (who subsequently formed Wreck of the Hesperus and more recently Malthusian), drummer Niall O'Reilly (later of Haieeta) and mysterious bassist Bren. This 2002 demo was the bands only recording and still sounds impressive, full of memorable riffs and strong drumming. As it was only briefly available in physical form, we thought it worthwhile to revive the old cadaver for those of a morbid bent, with appropriately grisly new Cunningham cover art. Edition of 50.

Note: the only available audio sources of this material (particularly the second side) were less than optimum. However, mastering by John O'Brien of Irish Metal Archive yielded listenably lo-fi results. Check out his site for more Irish metal obscurities.

Side OneVeins of the Earth / Going Down (5:59)Side TwoPrey to God (2:56)Jungle Rot (3:21)